A "remarkable" TV presenter who was a part of viewers' lives for more than 20 years has died.

North West Tonight's Dianne Oxberry died on Thursday at the Christie Hospital in Manchester following a short illness.

The 51-year-old leaves behind her husband Ian Hindle, a camera operator, and her two young children.

Tributes poured in for the much-loved presenter who was described as one of the BBC's "brightest stars".

Her husband said: “Dianne was an amazing wife and mother who embraced life to the full.

"She was an inspiration to all who knew and loved her but also to the people who watched and welcomed her into their homes each night as if she were part of their family too.

“She will leave a massive void in our lives but, because of the remarkable person she was, she will forever live on in our hearts. The children and I will miss her more than anyone can imagine.”

Dianne Oxberry was described as one of the BBC's "brightest stars" (Image: BBC)

Ms Oxberry was the main weather presenter on North West Tonight and fronted Inside Out North West, the BBC’s regional current affairs programme.

North West Tonight presenter Roger Johnson said: “We are heartbroken by Dianne’s death. It is almost impossible to comprehend. Dianne was North West Tonight. It’s hard to imagine the programme without her.

“Our thoughts are with Ian and all of Dianne’s family. We hope they will find some comfort in the knowledge so many people loved Dianne and will miss her terribly.”

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His fellow presenter Annabel Tiffin added: “This is an enormous shock for all of us. I can scarcely believe Dianne has died. She was loved by our viewers, by all of us at North West Tonight. My heart breaks for her family.

“Di was so talented, so beautiful, so funny and so full of life. Onscreen she was a star, radiating warmth and good humour. Off-screen, she was a wonderful colleague, a loyal friend and I will miss her terribly.”

Dianne Oxberry with Pudsaey and North West Tonight's Roger Johnson and Annabel Tiffin (Image: BBC)

Ms Oxberry started working on North West Tonight in 1994 after studying at the Met Office College and has been a favourite on the show ever since.

She had previously worked at BBC Radio 1 alongside Steve Wright and Simon Mayo.

She moved north to present Saturday morning children’s TV show The 8:15 From Manchester and also presented a number of programmes on BBC Radio Manchester including the Breakfast Show.

During her career, she was nominated for Best Regional Presenter at the Royal Television Society Awards.

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Aziz Rashid, Head of BBC North West, said: “We are all devastated by this dreadful news. The coming days will be difficult but we will do our best to pay tribute to someone who meant so much to us all and made such an enormous contribution to broadcasting in the North West.

“For more than 20 years, viewers invited Dianne into their homes every night. She was a part of their lives.

"Just last November, during our Plod for Pudsey challenge for Children in Need, Di was out meeting viewers around the region. I saw for myself the incredible reaction she got from the public, which showed how much people cared for her.”

Dianne Oxberry was a favourite on North West Tonight (Image: BBC)

Helen Thomas, Director of BBC England, added: “Dianne had a remarkable career. For more than two decades, she was a key part of one of the most watched regional news programmes in the country. Prior to that, she’d had a successful stint working on air at Radio 1.

“She was a brilliant weather presenter, showed she could do serious journalism with Inside Out and could do the lighter end of broadcasting brilliantly whenever it was needed.

“Above all, she was a lovely woman whose sudden and shocking death has robbed the BBC of one of our brightest stars. I’m thinking of all her family and friends at this awful time.”